Recently, in the field of silver halide color photographic materials, particularly those used for photography, those having super high sensitivity (as typically illustrated by ISO 1,600 films, etc.), or those having excellent image quality, particularly graininess, suitable for use in small format cameras (as typically illustrated by 110 sized cameras or disc cameras) and capable of providing satisfactory prints by high magnification of enlargement, have been keenly desired.
One technique for improving graininess is the use of a monodispersed silver halide emulsion, as described in Japanese Patent Application (OPI) Nos. 14829/83, 28743/83 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,446,226) and 100846/83(corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,511,648), etc. (the term "OPI" as used herein means an "unexamined published application"). However, this method has some problems, namely, that an exposure latitude is narrow and that graininess is inferior in an area of high exposure amount. Further, color reproducibility is also not good when using only a monodispersed emulsion.
In order to eliminate these problems, a method wherein a monodispersed emulsion is employed together with a DIR compound capable of releasing a diffusible development inhibiting substance is proposed in Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 100847/83 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,446,226). According to this method, color reproducibility is improved to some extent, and sharpness is also improved. Further, in Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 232544/85 (corresponding to European Patent 145,560A), a method wherein a monodispersed emulsion having a high silver iodidobromide content in the interior o silver halide grains is used together with a DIR compound having a relatively high degree of development inhibiting ability is proposed. This method can provide improved graininess and sharpness.
It is also known that DIR compounds as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,227,554, 3,701,783, 3,703,375, 4,052,213, 4,138,258, 4,146,396 and 4,477,563, etc., or DIR compounds having a timing group as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,248,962 and 4,421,845, are added to photographic light-sensitive materials in order to improve sharpness, color reproducibility and graininess. Further, the compounds as described in Japanese Patent Application (OPI) Nos. 185950/85 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,618,571) and 56837/82, etc. are proposed for the purpose of improving the above-described photographic properties. However, the effects on the improvement of these properties are still not sufficient when these compounds described above are employed.